In the state of the art, it is known to sample adipose tissue using a cannula made in the form of a needle or a tube that presents an internal bore of circular section and an outside face of circular section. The cannula generally includes an atraumatic blunt distal end for insertion into the tissue and a proximal end for connection with a gripper element. The tube is arranged to include one or more adipose tissue sampling orifices that communicate with the internal bore of the cannula, which bore is generally connected to a suction source.
In practice, sampling adipose tissue leads to tissue lesions or to tissue being torn. Sample-taking in that way frequently gives rise to severe post-sampling inflammatory phenomena and can generate extensive bleeding. In addition, sample-taking in that way presents a yield that is relatively low with the tissue that is taken being of poor quality.
In the field of catheters, document DE 100 49 813 discloses a catheter for ablation of a calcified aortic valve. At its distal end, the catheter is provided with an ablation system comprising a tube having an inside face of circular section and an outside face of circular section. The tube has a sampling orifice bordered by a cutting edge. A cutting tool is movably mounted inside the tube and presents an opening that defines a cutting edge. Such an ablation system is of complex design and it is complex to use, in particular because of the presence of a movable cutting tool. Furthermore, such an ablation system does not enable sample-taking to be precise and of good quality, by virtue of the very principle of the ablation system.